


A Fine Establishment

by chasingkerouac



Category: Glee
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Western, Gen, Glee AU, M/M, Western, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-18
Updated: 2012-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-07 01:02:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1879116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasingkerouac/pseuds/chasingkerouac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Anderson brothers are opening up a new saloon in town.  Kurt Hummel is less than impressed, until he meets the  brothers -- Blaine in particular.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Fine Establishment

**Author's Note:**

> Written for tumblr's Klaine AU Friday challenge - Western!Klaine.

Kurt scowled, his arms crossed as he watched the workers raise the sign on the large corner building that used to be the local Bank and Trust before they moved to their new building down the street.  This was just what the town needed - another saloon.  And this one was supposed to have gambling tables and ‘twice as many girls, eager to dance and entertain you!’ according to the notice in Monday’s newspaper.  If there was anything that Kurt Hummel was less interested in than saloon girls, he couldn’t come up with it off the top of his head.  

“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” came a voice next to him.

Kurt looked over to find Rachel staring, starry-eyed, up at the shiny new ‘Anderson Brothers’ Saloon’ sign above the door.  “Rachel, this will not be your ticket to fame and fortune,” he sighed.  This was a conversation they’d had many a time, each time something new came into town.  Or a new person from back east came to town.  Or a new book found its way into the general store.  

“You don’t know that,” Rachel insisted.  “I have to find some way to practice so that I can convince my father that it’s not the worst idea to let me move back east.  My talent is  _wasted_  out here, Kurt.  Wasted!  Just imagine what I could do in New York, or Philadelphia, or Boston,” she sighed.  “Sure, Madam Sylvester let me sing a few songs in her saloon before, but she said that I was driving away her paying customers after dark, which I assume means that they were too busy being enthralled by my wonderful voice and the emotion that I was able to evoke with nothing but Mr. Schuester on the piano, and there were people who kept going into the room in the back with some of the girls, so I just don’t understand why she won’t let me sing more!”  Rachel turned and grabbed Kurt’s waistcoast enthusiastically.  “These Anderson brothers  _have_  to let me sing more!  This is the practice I need to convince my father that moving to New York is the best idea.  And it’ll convince his business partner too, although I don’t know why he continually asks his business partner for advice concerning my life, but they are the best of friends so I guess it makes sense.”

“Yes… the best of friends,” Kurt murmured.  Rachel’s ability to miss what was right in front of her was both an endearing and a frustrating part of her personality.  “Well, they open tonight, so I’m sure that they already have an idea of the entertainment they’re going to be featuring.”

A hand clasped each of their shoulders from behind and the pair of them turned with a start to find a man with startling blue eyes and the widest smile Kurt had ever seen.  “Did someone say entertainment?” he exclaimed.  “I see that you’re staring at our fine establishment, and who can blame you, because it is the  _finest_  establishment this side of the Mississippi!  We have something for everyone in this fine town, and nothing could make for a finer evening than to spend it in the Anderson Brothers’ Saloon!  Cooper Anderson’s the name, and entertainment’s my game.”

“Oh, Mr. Anderson, we’re so looking forward to your grand opening tonight,” Rachel swooned.  She positively  _swooned_ , Kurt thought with a grump.  Although he couldn’t blame her.  Cooper Anderson was gorgeous.  And very obviously not the type to be interested in an appreciative glance from another man.  “I was just speaking with my friend Kurt here about how much I was looking forward to talking to you about what sort of entertainment you have planned tonight, because I have the single most exquisite voice in the entire town and I’m certain that whomever you have to sing tonight would pale in comparison to what I could do for you if you would just give me a chance.”

“Whoa, Miss…” Cooper trailed off.

“Rachel,” she supplied quickly.  “Miss Rachel Berry.  My father and his partner run the law firm here in town.”

“Well, Miss Rachel,” Cooper replied genially, “why don’t you and your friend come by this evening around eight.  And if you’re as good as you say you are, why don’t you sing us a song or two for our grand opening.  We’ll showcase local talent to prove that we’re interested in being the best neighbors you’ve ever had.”

“Oh!  Oh Mr. Anderson, thank you!” Rachel squealed.  “You won’t regret this!  I promise you!”

“I doubt I will,” Cooper chuckled.  He tipped his hat to her before extending his hand to Kurt.  “And we’ll see you there Mister…?”

“Hummel,” Kurt replied, shaking Cooper’s offered hand.  “Kurt Hummel.”

“Well, Mr. Hummel, Miss Rachel,” Cooper said, tipping his hat again.  “I look forward to seeing both of you this evening.  A free drink on me for both of you!” 

Rachel could barely contain her excitement, and gave a happy jump as soon as Cooper had walked back to the saloon.  “Kurt!  Kurt did you hear that!  He’s going to let me sing!  This is it!  This will definitely convince my father that this dusty town is too small for my talent!”

As much as Kurt knew that the outcome of this performance would be the same as all of the others - Mr. Berry telling Rachel that yes, of course she was talented, but the east coast was so far away and it just wasn’t the right time for her to leave yet - he couldn’t help but get wrapped up in her enthusiasm.  “Rachel, this could be it,” he said.  If she was excited, he could be excited for her.  “But I just don’t think I’m going to come tonight.  I don’t like saloons.”  Mostly he didn’t like the men that populated the saloons, even if Mr. Cooper Anderson was glorious to look at.  The men in saloons were rough, and drunk, usually just passing through on their way to find gold or silver or whatever new wonder they’d found in the ground even further west.  And those that were from here?  The ones Kurt had grown up with?  Well, he’d gotten knocked around enough growing up that spending time drinking with those men was not something he willingly subjected himself to.  

“But you  _have_  to, Kurt,” Rachel pleaded.  “Please?  Just think about it?  For me?”

Kurt sighed.  Rachel was like a dog with a bone and he knew that he would never hear the end of it if he didn’t relent.  “I’ll think about it,” he said, which by the look on Rachel’s face meant that she was already counting that as a ‘yes’ and mentally going through all the doors she needed to knock on to make sure that she had a good crowd of people that she knew for her big debut at the Anderson Brothers’ Saloon.  “But I’ve got to get back to work.  My dad only sent me down here to drop off the deposit at the bank.”

“Alright,” Rachel said, “but I’m counting on you tonight.  Eight o’clock!  Don’t be late!”

***

“Dad?” Kurt called out as he walked around the stacks of wheels and wagon parts that filled the work area.  Burt Hummel had been the town’s best, and now currently only, wainwright for as long as Kurt could remember, and it had been a proud moment for both of them when Burt changed the sign on the door from ‘Hummel’ to ‘Hummel and Son’.  “I’m back from the bank.  And you’ll never guess who I saw on the way back.  Mrs. Hudson said to tell you… oh, hello.”

Kurt pulled up short as he came face to face with the most beautiful pair of honey hazel eyes he’d ever seen.   _What is it with men and beautiful eyes today?_  he thought.  But this pair of eyes was set on a man who was his age, with burnished skin and what Kurt was sure were probably the softest curls to ever peek out from under a hat.  He swallowed hard before pulling himself back together.  “Sorry, I didn’t see you there,” he said lamely.

“It’s alright,” the other man said brightly.  “I’m unfortunately short enough to be hidden behind a lot of these pieces,” he chuckled.  

“Oh, these old things?” Kurt said, tapping the large wagon wheel leaning against the wall.  “They’re all big enough for anyone to get lost behind.”

“Well,” Burt’s voice came booming through as he emerged, wiping his hand on a rag as he entered the room.  “Oh, Kurt, you’re back.  This gentleman just needed an axle fixed.  Which, your horse should be comfortable again.  The axles have a tendency to crack when you come such a long distance.  But I’ve got you set up with a new one, and my son here can take care of the payment while I re-hitch your horse, if you like.”

“That sounds great, Mr. Hummel,” the man answered.  Burt tipped his head and retreated back to the wagon.  “Your shop is very efficient, Mr. Hummel,” he said, this time to Kurt.

“Please, call me Kurt,” Kurt insisted.  The attractive dark haired man could call him anything he wanted, but for some reason he wanted nothing more than to hear his name come from those  _lips_.

“Kurt,” the man murmured, extending his hand.  “Wonderful.  Well, then I insist that you call me Blaine.”

“Blaine,” Kurt said, hoping that his voice wasn’t cracking or coming out in a sigh or anything else that would be both embarrassing or cause Blaine to go running screaming from the wainwright’s flouncy son.  “Well, I’m glad that we were able to get you fixed and set up quickly.  Are you… just passing through town?”

Blaine shook his head.  “No sir, I’m brand new and hoping to stay around a while.  And actually, I need to get going.  I have a long list of things I need to do today, but having the wagon out of commission really set me back.”  He pulled a pocket watch from his waistcoat pocket and nodded.  “Yep, an hour behind.  Time waits for no man.”

“Well, then we should get you set up and on your way,” Kurt said.  Because of course the incredibly attractive man would need to run off.  Probably to his sweetheart, who was just waiting with her hair flowing free and lunch ready on the table.  Or his wife, whom he’d been with for years.  Or wagonload of children just eager to see their pa again today.  

Blaine slipped his watch back into his pocket and hesitated slightly as he pulled a few bills out of the other pocket.  “Hey, Kurt… you wouldn’t happen to be going to the saloon opening tonight, would you?”

“Oh, the saloon?” Kurt asked, taking the money.  “I… ah… I was thinking about it.  It’s not usually my idea of a good night, but…”

“Oh,” Blaine murmured.  “That’s a shame.  I was hoping I’d see you there tonight.”

“But!” Kurt jumped right back in.  “It’s not normally my type of evening plans, but a friend of mine might be singing a number or two after meeting one of the proprietors this afternoon, so yes.  Yes, I was planning to go.”

“Great!” Blaine beamed.  “I’ll see you there, then.  It was a pleasure to meet you, Kurt.”

“You too, Blaine,” Kurt said, only releasing the breath he was holding once Blaine was out of sight.

Wild horses couldn’t keep him away from the Anderson Brothers’ Saloon tonight.

***

Kurt and Rachel were surprised at the classy interior of the Anderson Brothers’ Saloon.  It certainly looked like it would serve a higher clientele than some of the other establishments in town.  The music was vibrant, the girls were friendly (and surprisingly happier than those who danced for Madam Sylvester, although comparing the personalities of her and Cooper Anderson made it clear which one Kurt would rather work for, beautiful blue eyes notwithstanding) and the liquor seemed to be flowing, which was making for quite a raucous laughter at the game tables.  “Kurt!  Kurt, this is going to be it, I can  _feel_  it!” Rachel squealed, gripping his arm with one hand and her shawl with the other.  “I’m going to go find Mr. Anderson and tell him that I’m here and get into my costume.”

“He didn’t say anything about a costume, Rachel,” Kurt reminded her.

Rachel tsked and shook her head.  “Oh Kurt, there’s always a costume.  Any good performance requires a costume.  And if he doesn’t have one, well, it’s only a quick walk home to get one that I personally have.  Just you wait!  This is going to make me famous!” she called out as she let go of Kurt’s arm and disappeared into the crowd to find Cooper and remind him of his promise.

Kurt couldn’t help but laugh.  Being friends with Rachel was never boring.  And she didn’t have to know that the honey hazel eyed man with a broken wagon axle from earlier was what pushed him over the edge to attending tonight.  

The same man who he couldn’t seem to find in the crowd.  

He must have just arrived before him, Kurt thought as he made his way over to the bar and ordered a whiskey.  He wasn’t much of a drinker, but standing with this crowd in a saloon, he’d be hassled less if he at least had a drink in his hand.  The guy on the piano was playing a tune that no one seemed to know, but the girls seemed eager to dance to, and Kurt couldn’t resist getting closer to listen.  He could wait for Blaine over there.  If he could get a seat at one of the tables to the left of the piano, he’d have a full view of the room and could see exactly when Blaine walked in.  

Kurt made his way through the crowd with his drink and walked around the piano… which was being played by one still unfairly attractive Blaine.  “Blaine?” he said as soon as the song ended and the girls started clapping.  

Blaine looked up from the sheet music, his smile becoming even more dazzling than earlier when he recognized the man standing next to him.  “Kurt!  You came!”

“I did,” Kurt chuckled.  “I didn’t think you were here yet.  I didn’t know that you worked here.”

“Well, my name’s on the sign, so I’m pretty sure that Cooper wouldn’t stand for anything less.”

“So… Blaine Anderson?” Kurt asked.

“The one and only,” Blaine said, standing up from the piano bench much to the chagrin of the gaggle of dancing girls surrounding them.  “Sorry, ladies, I need to check on the bar.  But I’ll be back.”  He motioned to Kurt’s drink.  “I see you’ve already tried our liquor.”

Kurt tipped the glass back and drank the last swallow.  “Yes, but it looks like I could use a refill.”

“Well, it sure does look like that,” Blaine murmured.  He placed his hand low on Kurt’s back, letting it rest there just long enough for Kurt to realize the words that came next were more than friendly.  “Let me buy you drink,” Blaine said softly.

“I would love that,” Kurt replied, letting Blaine lead him through the crowd, his hand never leaving Kurt’s back.


End file.
